Feature Request: Controller Failure Alarm

[DrWizard]

I had an idea for a security feature that could be exclusive to Light-O-Rama thanks to your more sophisticated communications protocol.

Have 'Control Panel' "ping" all the known controllers every few seconds, and raise an alarm if one of them fails to respond, due to failure, [accidental] disconnect, blown fuse or ground fault, or even being stolen.  The alarm function could be turned on and off from Control Panel when you are working on the hardware, and when on, if one of the controllers on it's list doesn't respond in a timely manner, it could play a sound file (configurable), pop up a big blinky message box on the screen, and/or send an email and/or text.

It could also work with E.131 controllers (any brand) but it wouldn't work with generic DMX controllers (your competition(?)) due to their one-way communications.

[TheDucks]

There are unused pairs in the CAT5 cable on a LOR network. You could make a simple tamper Alarm circuit by breaking these out at the dongle and closing the loop at the far end.  If you have a home alarm system with a spare input. that loop closure is the systems specified resistance, not a full short.

AFAIK LOR uses 2 pair. RS485 (the blue) and 9V for accessories like the ELL (? pair)

[dibblejr]

Though I do not remember it there is an email address to submit feature and other requests for consideration to. Maybe another member or forum staff will post to refresh our memories of the email address.

JR

[k6ccc]

2 hours ago, TheDucks said:

There are unused pairs in the CAT5 cable on a LOR network. You could make a simple tamper Alarm circuit by breaking these out at the dongle and closing the loop at the far end.  If you have a home alarm system with a spare input. that loop closure is the systems specified resistance, not a full short.

AFAIK LOR uses 2 pair. RS485 (the blue) and 9V for accessories like the ELL (? pair)

Pins 1 & 2 (or what is normally the White / Orange pair) pass through each controller.   Fairly simple to use that to create an alarm loop.  I tested that several years ago, but have not implemented it.

2 hours ago, DrWizard said:

Have 'Control Panel' "ping" all the known controllers every few seconds, and raise an alarm if one of them fails to respond, due to failure, [accidental] disconnect, blown fuse or ground fault, or even being stolen. 

That won't work on an Enhanced network.  Part of how an Enhanced Network operates is to force all the controllers to never transmit onto the RS-485 network.  Should be able to get that to work on a non-enhanced network.